Wounded Healer
Active Member
i think mikel has quality. just not enough of it.
Top 6 should be achievable this season lad. From where we are now and the form we're showing, along with the chaos around us, anything less would be a big disappointment.Developing a younger team and aiming for top 6 is a realistic and progressive target for next season.
Bring Saliba and Guendouzi back, find Martinelli his position etc.
Yesterday showed alot about Arteta's mindset and what his messages are to the players.
At 4-0 up at home. He first thing he thought about was himself. He brought Willian on because he thought that maybe he would get a goal, to prove that he could actually be useful. He brought him on ahead of Martinelli. Forget Pepe, it's pointless bringing him on if he hasn't started the game. However Martinelli needs minutes. He also needs a goal, more than Willian does.
The next two substitutions were pure panic. Elneny? Holding and moving to 3 at the back with barely any time left? What kind of message does that send to the players.
On top of that, we have a big game Thursday and at 4-0 your first thought should be really simple. Take ESR and Saka off. He could ha even used 30 mins to have a look at Martinelli up front. But no.
He is getting credit for doing the obvious. Podcasts are calling for Arteta to play Auba and surround him with creativity behind him rather than pepper crosses into the box. He could go 1 further and play 4 3 3 and have Ødegaard, Pepe, ESR, Saka and Auba all on the pitch at the same time. He wont though. As he thinks defence first even at 4-0 up.
I don’t get how you turn examples of great game management into negatives. Willian coming on at 4-0 up and with 30 minutes left to play is a good thing. He is on a lot of money and you try to encourage him by giving him that chance when things are going well and hope that he can find form. It’s the perfect time to do it.
El Neny and Holding were good subs. Shored up our defence when we needed it. It worked because they didn’t create anything after they came on. You’d rather bring on Martinelli and risk a 4-4? That would be terrible game management...
Firstly I’m delighted we won but there’s a bigger picture here than 3 points.
This mindset in bold is the exact problem @The_Playmaker is referring to. The bigger picture is about transmitting to players the belief that at 4-0 up against a newly promoted side they have permission to go on and be ruthless.
Why does bringing Martinelli on with a 3 goal lead against a team throwing everyone forward make you think of the result being pulled back to 4-4 and not us going on to win by 5, 6 or 7?
These limiting beliefs are the difference between mid table and top 4. We show the opposition that we’re scared of ourselves. Exactly the same thing happened in that home game against Olympiacos when Arteta wet the bed after we took the lead and made a swathe of defensive changes in ET and we blew it.
These are small details which ultimately convey to the players that they can’t solve their own problems.
I don’t get how you turn examples of great game management into negatives. Willian coming on at 4-0 up and with 30 minutes left to play is a good thing. He is on a lot of money and you try to encourage him by giving him that chance when things are going well and hope that he can find form. It’s the perfect time to do it.
El Neny and Holding were good subs. Shored up our defence when we needed it. It worked because they didn’t create anything after they came on. You’d rather bring on Martinelli and risk a 4-4? That would be terrible game management...
Because the most reliable thing to do is to bring on experienced defensive minded players to secure the result.
I mentioned the 4-4 at 4-0 up. What happened in the 4-4 you may ask? Newcastle had just made it 4-1 and Wenger made the bizarre decision to bring on Rosicky rather than a defensive minded player. We went on to concede 3 goals.
There is no place for naivety when points are at stake. 4-4 again would have been a disaster.